REVIEW

“There is no forgetting from the lips of the people”
Sculptural solo exhibition-Benitha Perciyal

Indira Lakshmi Prasad

“Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” – Genesis 2:7
The ripe, cacophonous scent of herbs fills the neoteric rooms of Nature Morte Gallery, New Delhi. It approaches 6pm as I arrive, and subsequently watch the gallery transition from the fading evening light to the artificial glow of ceiling lights, bringing out yet more hues in Perciyal’s dappled russet-tone sculptures. Perciyal’s first solo show makes use of the entirety of the setting of Nature Morte, originally a uniquely contemporary apartment block, noticed for its quirky architecture and converted for gallery use.Perciyal’s work can be likened to a series of carefully of assembled fragmented artefacts. The tenacious presence of her devout faith fills the air just as much as the scent of her works, which are made exclusively of natural compounds; cinnamon, clove, frankincense, myrrh, lemongrass. Her refusal to use synthetic materials has transformed
the creative process into a labour of love, and of devotion. The creation of these casts requires months or even years of curing, paying close attention to detail of the intricacies of the process. Nothing is rushed. Everything is deliberate, even the eventual decomposition of the work.